Sweden: First Entries Announced!

Sweden – As reported earlier, the announcement for the 16 first entries in Melodifestivalen 2013 took place today a 10:00 CET on a webshow and then revealed in a press conference. Last year’s David Lindgren and Sean Banan return along witha few others (among which the most famous has to be Pernilla Wahlgren) while there are many newcomers in the performing artists. Many returning names among the composers (Fredrik Kempe signs Cookies ‘n’ Beans‘ entry, Måns Zelmerlöw, Henrik Wikström or “Euphoria’ composer Thomas G:son). Find out the full list here!

So Melodifestivalen 2013 revealed its firs entries, the ones to participate the 2nd of February in Karlskrona and the 9th of February in Gothenburg, the first two semi-finals out of four of the selection method for the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 of which Sweden is the host. So far, no running-order has been anounced, the line-up being in alphabetical order of title.

Related

Post navigation

21 comments on “Sweden: First Entries Announced!”

Cookies ‘n’ Beans – Burning Flags (Fredrik Kempe)
In 2009, “What If” was underwhelming. I don’t like much the desperate housewife peerforming accoustic but knowing now it’ll be even less genuine wwith a Fredrik Kempe’s song… not appealing to me!

Marie N’Diaye – Gosa (Johan Åsgärde, Mattias Frändå & Mary N’diaye)
Nothing to say except Marie N’Diaye is the name of a great contemporary French author, winner of the Goncourt 2009.

Yohio – Heartbreak Hotel (Johan Fransson, Tobias Lundgren, Tim Larsson, Henrik Göranson, Yohio)
After checking her first songs on Youtube, I’m torn. She’s that Japanese pop type of rock that’s very popular with the teens. Her vocals don’t sound great either, but it could be cool live and strange enough to be appealing. Not excited but willing to give it a try.

Jay-Jay Johanson – Paris (Jay-Jay Johanson)
“Believe In Us” is a masterpiece. He’s a bit known in the alternative scene in France. Huge surprise to find him here, and an extraordinary expectation arose suddenly. Plus the title might be dedicated to my home town, one of the nowadays extremely rare self-written entry!

Anna Järvinen – Porslin (Björn Olsson, Martin Elisson)
It’s nice that MF can still attract artists like her, who seem to be in a total different musical life than MF. It’s going to be interesting to hear her live on MF stage (well as much “live” can MF be at least) but her subtle songs, performances and of course weakish vocals will be interesting feature. Hope it can work, lookin forward to this.

David Lindgren – Skyline (Fernando Fuentes, Henrik Nordenback, Christian Fast)
His song last year was the total opposite to what I care for. But he’s got his game going (performance and vocals neat) so it’s not going to be awful. With Loreen and Danny out, only Ulrik could trouble him (considering David beat Ulrik in the same semi, but then Ulrik beat him in the final televoting).

Eric Gadd – Vi Kommer Aldrig Att Förlora (Eric Gadd, Thomas Stenström, Jacob Olofsson)
I checked him online and his single “Meet Me here” didnt appeal to me. He sounds like a clubbing type of singer, without much vocals, but it’s definitely different than the typical MF schlager. I’ll keep an open mind on this one.

Michael Feiner & Caisa – We’re Still Kids (Michael Feiner, Caisa Ahlroth)
Michael Feiner sounds like a cool electro guy so obviously for MF he needed a voice and brought in Caisa, nothing found on her online from me. So dunno what to think.

well then he’s playing the androgyn-transvestite japanese card… does he want us to say “he” or “she”? anyway, that did not raise my interest whatsoever, that just means his vocals are not “deep and strange” but just “bad”…

Joacim Cans – Annelie (Joacim Cans)
A rather lamish “hard rocker” with underwhelming songs online. I’m assuming you need your quota of this genre, but this is very MFish. At least it’s self-written, so let’s hear it.

Anton Ewald – Begging (Fredrik Kempe, Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad)
Anton Ewald has almost no info online, and since it’s a hot twink singing a Kempe’s song, that does not look like an Eric Saade/Youngblood’s reject at all. There’s an accoustic guitar video of him singing where his voice is at least better than the above.

Sean Banan – Copacabanana (Sean Banan, Ola Lindholm, Hans Blomberg, Joakim Larsson)
After the huge craze around him last year (which was not enough to push him even to the final, stuck in Andra Chasen), will it be enough to send him right away to the final? Probably. But I don’t like the music style at all, and if he goes over the line from funny to jokey, I’d hate it. The ESC host cant seriously do that…

Rikard Wolff – En Förlorad Sommar (Tomas Andersson Wij)
Old man with no vocal skills whatsoever talking on cool melodies is what I could find online. However, Tomas Andersson Wij is a great artist who did the first real “strange reprise” with his “Evighet” and I hoped he’d do MF…

Erik Segerstedt & Tone Damli – Hello Goodbye (Robin Fredriksson, Mattias Larsson, Måns Zelmerlöw)
Butterfly meets EMD meets Cara Mia… I expect this to be the big schlager number and the huge fans favorite. I hope it’s at least catchy and well performed, so that I won’t totally hate it. And who knows, sometimes I like a little bit of schlager.

Felicia Olsson – Make Me No 1 (Amir Aly, Henrik Wikström, Ingela Pling Forsman, Maria Haukaas Mittet)
All I found online is a pretty girl doing amateurish reprises in like self-made videos. But considering the bi names having writen for her, I think this is definitely the “big newcomer” they hope for. The title is like the worst possible since “Popular” and I fear this is going to be the very ugly schlager type.

Pernilla Wahlgren, Hanna Hedlund & Jenny Silver – On Top Of The World (Peter Boström, Thomas G:son)
What wouldnt these three do now to do MF? Seriously? And with a Bostrôm/G:son too… God another schlagery crap comin our way? “On top of the world” is that much more original it’s even done esc too…

Louise Hoffsten – Only The Dead Fish Follow The Stream (Louise Hoffsten, Sandra Bjurman, Stefan Örn)
Hard to find anything online, but it sounded like a jazzy-country-rocknrolly type of singer, and the title is definitely like the best and funniest so far. Hopefully it’ll be a nice contrast to the three big schlager tunes we are to expect in this one, and with Rikard and Sean, it’ll be much needed too…

“Tomas Andersson Wij is a great artist who did the first real “strange reprise” with his “Evighet””

I couldn’t agree more. I totally detest that pompous schlager drivel Carola performed in Athens but absolutely love TAW’s subtle interpretation of the song which makes it a totally different song and a piece of art imho.

I really liked Cookies ‘n’ Beans’ “What If” but with a Kempe song I fear for the worst. :(

Apart from that I will wait for the songs and hope for the best. :)
Good luck to all participants!

the Joacim Cans reprise is cool indeed, but considering that I liked Dynazty’s reprise of “This Is My Life” but then didn’t like their MF entry at all, I still have my doubts. Rikard Wolff really doesn’t do it to me…

Yes, it’s obviously a matter of taste. I see many hardcore schlager fans in Sweden who are mourning that msgr. Wolff is entering. I like him for his rich voice and for his music style. I wouldn’t really call him a singer, though, since he is mostly talking-singing to his songs. But then again, I often like stage actors doing singing. Thorsten Flinck was one of my favourites from last year.

Overall this doesn’t look very promising. Cookies ‘n’ Beans are decent, but with a song written by Kempe? Hmmm… I don’t know. It made me less excited about their return.

David Lindgren has catchy, but boring pop.

Mary was a new name to me, but she seems like she could possibly have an OK up-tempo song. Might not be my taste though.

Yohio’s music isn’t too bad. I like some visual kei and J-Rock music so if his entry will be in that style it could easily be one of the best songs in the first semi for me. I just wonder if he is good live and whether or not he will look silly on stage with his costume. The Japanese can pull it off because it is their thing, but in Sweden it will look awkward and weird I suppose, hehe.

I can’t stand Eric Gadd and I find Jay-Jay and Anna’s music boring. Michael & Caisa were too schlageresque for me.

Anton Ewald seems musically boring & Felicia seems to be too unsteady live. I predict some shaky vocals. The song is partly made by our Maria Haukaas Mittet so it’ll be a little extra interesting to hear it.

I hate Tone Damli and Erik is a boring Idol-singer so this will most likely be a crappy duet for me. I’ll be happy to be proven wrong though, I’m open for it.

Pernilla, Jenny & Hanne… sounds like it could be some schlager from hell. :S

Louise Hoffsten could be alright. I hope for a powerful ballad with a little blues/country/rock vibe to it.

Sean Banan could have another fun song, but his music isn’t what I would call “good” either.

Rikard Wolff is in! He’s not bad. I think he can be like Thorsten Flinck – underappreciated by the ESC-fans, but he will make it to the final! :D

However, the MOST promising of them all is Joacim Cans!!!!!! :D He is the singer in the metal band HammerFall and Cans! He is decent live as well. I hope this means he will provide the rock this year. :D Metal in Melodifestivalen is hoping for too much, but hopefully his entry will at least be rock. AND he has written the song himself… That’s always a + :D

I completely agree. It would have been even more promising if he took part with either one of the bands he’s in. It’s just like when Nicke Borg participated solo instead of with his band Backyard Babies. Nicke, however, turned out to have a great entry even if he was solo. I hope it will be the same case for Joacim. :)

I absolutely agree and to continue on Nicke Borg, he was like a huge disappointment to me in MF and I fear the same for Joacim. Glad it makes you guys happy though, and let’s hope for the best in a semi filled with schlager he has a card to play

“On top of the world” was obviously written for Tone Damli from the beginning, so maybe it isn’t the typical schlager/disco song. Pernilla Wahlgren call it a “club” song, but I’m not sure whether she knows what club music really is. :P

Sean Banan is a very dissapointing name to see in the line up of a MF I do expect to blow me away this year. Some promising composers here (Fredrik Kempe and Thomas G:Son being the ones standing out of course – high hopes from their entries) but we’ll have to wait an listen of course before we reach any conclusions.

Editorial Line

The Eurovision Times is a daily updated fan blog about the Eurovision Song Contest and the whole world that surrounds it. It features daily news, interviews, editorials, analysis, updates on former participants and when the time comes, information on the upcoming contest (tickets, dates, videos).
The blog focuses a lot on national finals and the contest's history. Rumors and gossips are discussed at length, as any good fan site, but this is a place with a sense of community, where people's opinions are valued and where conversation and debate are welcomed most of all!

Hulluna is the main administrator of Eurovision Times and first editor-in-chief!

Sekhmet Morgan is the second overall administrator and editor-in-chief!